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D. v. B. SMART.

. Car Coupling. No. 76,833. Patented Apri: 14,1868.

RAPHEH, WASHINGTON. D CA ,N- PEIERS; Puormm'nos @tetten ftatrs ntent @ffies-g f .Lette/'s Patent No. TG,833, dated April 14, '1858,

IMPROVED GAR-COUPLING.

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TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN: l p

'Be it known` that I, DAVID V. B. SMART, of Troy, in the county ot" Rensselaer, and Stato of New York, have invented ainew and improved Oar-Goupling and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear,

and exact description thereof, which will enable those skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

This invention relates toa new and improved method of constructing couplings for securing railroad-cars together, whereby the self-acting coupling is greatly simplied, while its eieetiveness and durability are equal to any in use. And the invention consists in forming a slotted draw-head, and in connecting the coupling-pin thereto byv a movable staple, will be hereinafter described.

Figure 1 represents a side view of the draw-head partly in section, showing the position of the pin when the cars are coupled.

Figure y2 is a vertical section of iig. 1, through the line ai z.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

A represents thedraw-head; I3 is the couplingpin; G is the movable staple to which the pin is attached; D represents thecouplinglink.

The staple C passes down through the draw-head, as seen in g. 2, its ends being turned or crooked alittle, as seen, or other provision is made for preventing it from being drawn entirely out or from the draw-head.

The coupling-pin- B slides and turns on this staple. Its lower end is bevelling to allow it to be readily detachedfrom the link in uncoupling. To its upper end there is attached a short lever or knob, E, by lwhich the pin may. be operated in uncoupling. y

F represents therthroatrot the `draw-head; G is the mouth; II is the slot in the draw-head in which the coupling-pin plays.

The earslare uncoupled by raising the staple with the'pin vertically, or by throwing the knob E forward, which motion will withdraw' the pin from the link.

l The form of the throatin the draw-head is suoli that the link is held in nearly o. horizontal position, so that when the end of the link enters the mouth, itis conducted to the pin, which it pushes back till the pin can drop into the link, when the cars-are coupled. .When the link drops into the slot, and hangs on the staple by its own gravity, the car is ready for coupling without any assistance from the attendant.

In breaking up a train of cars while they are standing on the'track, it is necessary to remove the pin from Athe link before the cars are 'separatedl In such cases, the pin muy be withdrawn entirely from the slot, and

moved along on the staple and laid on the draw-head, it' desired, but there is usually play enough to allow the link to'be withdrawn when the pin retains its proper position for coupling.

By this simple arrangement, the cars are made selffcoupling, which rendersI it entirely unnecessary for the attendant to go between the oars for coupling or uneoupling, as in uncoupling the pin can be operated from the platform.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new, and ldesire to secure by Letters Patent- The staple C, having its ends passing through the sides of the draw-head, in combination with the sliding vcoupling-pin B and the slotted draw-head, all constru'eted and operating as described, whereby, as the staple 'is raised, the pin B is swung bythe knob E clear of the draw-head through the slot H, as herein shown and described. y' y A The above specification of my invention signed by me, this 20th day of November, 1867.

DAVID B. SMART.

Witnesses:

WM. F. McNAMAaA, ALEX. F. ROBERTS. 

